Brian Dumoulin and Zach Aston-Reese again practiced fully and without restriction for the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday, but coach Mike Sullivan stopped short of declaring each will play in the team’s playoff opener Wednesday.
“Their status hasn’t changed,” Sullivan said after practice at UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex. “They’re making progress.”
After top-pairing defenseman Dumoulin and checking-line wing Aston-Reese returned to practice Monday, Sullivan declared each as “day-to-day.” Tuesday, Sullivan used the “game-time decision” he always references when addressing players returning from injury.
The statuses of Dumoulin and Aston-Reese for Game 1 of the first-round series against the Islanders were unclear. During Tuesday’s practice, Dumoulin (out with a lower-body injury suffered March 31) skated on a fourth pairing with Zach Trotman. Aston-Reese (lower-body) alternated with Garrett Wilson as the fourth-line right wing.
Wilson likely would be out of the lineup if Aston-Reese returns. If Dumoulin returns, the lineup decision would be tougher. Olli Maatta, Marcus Petttersson and Erik Gudbranson could be scratched.
“They’re difficult decisions when we have a healthy group of defensemen,” Sullivan said. “All those guys have done a great job in helping us win games down the stretch. It’s a good problem to have. It’s not even a problem, it’s a challenge. It’s a good challenge to have.”
One decision that won’t be difficult for Sullivan, should Dumoulin prove he’s healthy, is giving Dumoulin plenty of ice time.
“He’s a tremendous defenseman,” usual top-pairing partner Kris Letang said. “Obviously, we are excited he’s on the ice right now and he’s making progress. He’s a big part of our team. He does so many things; he’s a really good defender, he plays hard, he can skate with the puck, he’s got good vision to bring the puck out, he’s patient with the puck. He does so many things out there.”
